In Cairo last June, Barack Obama vowed to defend the rights of women who wanted to wear hijab in the West. Since he presumably said this in the interests of protecting religious freedom, will he now denounce this activity in Somalia — in the interests of protecting religious freedom?
“Somali Islamist rebels force men to grow beards,” by Ibrahim Mohamed and Abdi Guled for Reuters, December 19 (thanks to DS):
MOGADISHU (Reuters) – Somalia’s Islamist al Shabaab rebels on Saturday ordered men to grow long beards, shave their moustaches and wear their trousers above the ankle.
It is the first time in the lawless Horn of Africa country that the insurgents, who seek impose a strict form of Islamic sharia law, have focused on men’s appearance, having previously ordered women to cover their entire bodies, and banned bras.
“We are ordering all men in Kismayu not to shave or trim their beards, but shave the moustache,” Sheikh Ibrahim Garweyn, a senior Al Shabaab official for the public awareness in the southern Somali port town, told reporters on Saturday.
“We will never accept to see men with long beards and moustaches together. They have three days to follow the order.”
The group, which Washington says is an al Qaeda proxy, has already banned musical ringtones, dancing at weddings and playing or watching soccer.
Al Shabaab has carried out executions, floggings and amputations to enforce its rulings, mainly Kismayu….